Beaches on St. Croix

St. Croix has some of the most
beautiful beaches in the Caribbean. In fact, many of our beaches are regarded as
some of the most beautiful in the world! Imagine crescents of white sand lining
secluded coves, crystal-clear turquoise waters all with lush tropical hills as a
backdrop... get the picture?

All St. Croix beaches are open to the
public. Some, however, are only accessible through private property. If that is the case,
please check with the property owners, ie: resort hotel or condo complex, to
inquire about any fees associated with accessing the beach through their
property. Also, keep in mind that the public access extends 15 feet up the beach
from the waterline, after that its private property so please be considerate of
the owners.

Many of the beaches on St. Croix
are turtle nesting areas for endangered species. Please do not drive spikes or
dig deep holes on any St. Croix beach...you might unknowingly be destroying a
turtle nest. Use this guide to find the best beaches on St. Croix.

"Leave Paradise
in its place" - VINE - the Virgin Islands
Network of Environmental Educators - established in 2004 to improve
environmental and cultural education opportunities throughout the U.S. Virgin
Islands by creating a network of educators to share information and contacts.
more info...

Buccaneer BeachesLocated to the east of Christiansted, at
The Buccaneer Hotel,
the property offers three
beaches. Non-guests are welcome to rent a beach chaise for $10 per chair.
Beachside food and beverage service available at The Mermaid or The Grotto
beaches.

Buck IslandTurtle Beach, which is considered one of the most beautiful
beaches in the Caribbean, is located on Buck Island, which was declared a
national Monument by President Kennedy. You can only get to the beach by taking one of several
charter boats that
make the trip to the island each
day. Snorkeling the island's underwater trail is a must!

Cane Bay BeachYou can find Cane Bay by taking Route 80
west on the North Shore. Cane Bay Beach is a spectacular white sand beach with crystal clear
water, breathtaking views, shade from Palm trees, some of the
Caribbean's
best snorkeling and world class diving on the walls and reefs that are close to shore.
Cane Bay Dive Shop, eat@canebay, Sprat Net Beach Bar and Off the Wall Beach Bar are just
a few steps away from the beach. You will find Kayak rentals and
Horseback riding tours here as well. The beach is most active on the weekends,
primarily on Sundays, when locals enjoy the beach, bars/restaurants and warm
ocean waters.

We'll just call
it...AMAZING!This is just one of many tranquil and secluded beaches you will find on the
coastline of St. Croix. This beach has no facilities, but then again, most times
there won't be any other people on the beach with you! You will see many beaches like this on St. Croix as you explore the
island.

Chenay Bay BeachYou will find this beach
on the
east end of the island on Route 82. It's located at the Chenay Bay Beach Resort where you will find
a restaurant and bar, a nice beach. The ocean at this beach is generally calm so it is great for families
with kids. There are several areas in the water that have a sandy bottom, as
well as some fairly good snorkeling.

Coakley Bay BeachAlso on the East end of
island, you will find a
gorgeous and generally deserted strip of Caribbean sand. Many of the areas in the
water have a sea grass on the bottom, so you'll see it washed up on the beach if there
has been some wave activity. There are also many areas with a sandy bottom that
makes it a great beach for swimming. You won't find a lot of other people on this beach, except for
maybe on Saturdays and Sundays, when locals will traditionally come for the day with family
and friends. Can you blame them?

Colony Cove BeachThere is an artificial tire reef
near the shore as well as a large natural reef with excellent snorkeling.
Located at Colony Cove Condos. Check in with front desk to see if there
will be an admission fee for parking or for beach access.

Columbus Landing Beach
The historic site of the 1493 landing of the
fleet of Christopher Columbus at Salt River, St. Croix. Use the road to the left
of the Columbus Cove marina. No facilities.

Cramer ParkNear the end of Route 82
and on the way to Point Udall, you will
find a beautiful, sandy public beach and park. The waters are generally calm
because of the reef just off shore. Ocean waves break on the reef before
reaching the beach. The park offers visitors picnic facilities, changing rooms
and bathrooms. Cramer Park can
be crowded with locals on the weekends, mostly on Sundays, when they come out to
enjoy the beach and park.

Davis Bay BeachLocated at the
Renaissance Carambola Beach Resort & Spa. Stop at the
guard booth and let them know you there for lunch, dinner and/or drinks. Davis Bay is a
white sand beach in a spectacular setting. Please respect the guests of the
resort and stay out of the pool unless you are a guest of the resort! Do you remember the movie
"Trading Places" with
Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd? The last scene in the movie was filmed here!
Restaurant, bar and dive shop.

Divi Carina Bay BeachA long, quiet stretch of beach located at the resort.
There are areas with a sandy bottom as well as areas with a lot of sea grass.
Snorkel equipment is available for rent. Kayaks, sunfish etc. are also available
for rent, as well as lessons. You can enjoy a cool drink and food at the beach
side café which offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. Located at the
Divi Carina Bay Beach Resort and
Casino.

Gentle Winds BeachLocated on the North Shore at the Gentle Winds Condominiums. The beautiful white
sand beach is in an idyllic setting. Access is limited to residents and guests
of the complex or by boat which is almost impossible because of a reef just off
the beach.

Grapetree BayOn the south eastern shore of St. Croix, this beach is close to the
Divi resort. Beautiful white sand beach used to have a hotel located here. It
was destroyed by hurricane Hugo and the remains can still be explored today. The
water here can sometimes be a little rough.

Manchenil (Manchineel) Bay BeachLocally, this beach can be referred to by several different names
and spellings (Manchineel). Its a wonderful
strip of white sand with generally calm water. You will need lots of sunscreen as there is very little shade
to be found because the beach faces south...but you are here for the sun, right! Good beach for sunning, swimming and
strolling. You will find some areas with sea grass on the bottom, but the beach
also has a lot of large areas with a sandy bottom. Overall, this is a very peaceful and
scenic location. The beach is located just
south of the South
Shore Road at Manchineel Bay. Turn towards the water at
the pink pillars and drive down the dirt road. Its a little hard to find, but worth
the effort!

Hibiscus BeachJust to the west of Christiansted, at a small beach
hotel,
you will find a palm lined and sandy beach with good snorkeling. Be careful of
the under-tow when the seas are rough.
Restaurant and bar is located beachside.

Isaac's BayThis beach, located on
the far eastern tip of the island, is easily one
of the most beautiful on the island, the whole Caribbean for that matter! It is
secluded so its great for sunbathing. It has a reef just off shore for some of
the best snorkeling on the island and waters that are calm, making for great
swimming. You can get to
this beach using trails from Jack's Bay or from Point Udall. The hike to the
beach is moderately strenuous, but it's worth the effort.

Jack's BayJack's Bay is also remote, but
like Isaac's Bay, it's well worth the effort it takes to get
there. It's located next to Isaac's Bay, so if you make it to one of them, you'll
probably visit the other.

La Grange BeachLocated just to the North of Frederiksted, this beach has nice white sand and a
beach bar with food and drinks. It's less than a half mile walk from the cruise
ship pier. It has good swimming and pretty good snorkeling.

Pelican Cove BeachJust to the west of Christiansted,
adjacent to the Palms at Pelican
Cove Hotel, is the sandy Pelican Cove
Beach.
Nice palm-fringed, sandy beach. There is a restaurant and bar at the hotel. There is good
snorkeling and the hotel has a small water-sports center. Be careful of the
undertow if the seas are rough.

Protestant CayA short trip by water taxi across the harbor from the
boardwalk in Christiansted. A small fee for the water taxi
will get you to this small but beautiful beach with a nice view of Christiansted
harbor. The is a full-service water sports facility including wind surfers, wave-runners,
and snorkeling. There is a restaurant and bar located on this small island.

Rainbow BeachJust north of Frederiksted there is a
beautiful
sandy beach with a beach bar & grill that often has live music. There
are fun activities at Rainbow beach such as jet ski rentals and a beach
volleyball court. Amenities also include beach umbrella and chair
rentals. The water is generally calm for swimming, and the beach faces west for
great sunsets. Rainbow beach, is also the site for the annual
St. Croix Reef Jam

Reef BeachLocated off of Route 82, on the east end of
the island, across from the 9 hole Reef Golf course. Quite sandy beach with
generally calm water that has pretty good snorkeling. There are Palm trees along
the beach for some shade. A restaurant
and bar is located adjacent to the beach.

Sand Castle BeachLocated just to the north of Frederiksted on the west end of the island in front
of two small hotels. Nice beach, decent snorkeling. Great sunsets, Restaurant
and Bar

Sandy Point National Wildlife RefugeSpectacular, secluded stretch of beach
on
the west end of St. Croix. The park was established primarily to protect
the March-June nesting grounds of endangered leatherback turtles. It just so
happens that it is also one of the longest and most pristine beaches in
the U.S. Virgin Islands - spanning over 2 miles long. The beach is open only on Saturdays
and Sundays, There are no facilities, so bring a cooler and take your trash back
out with you! Be careful where you walk, you might just disturb a turtle nest.

Shoys BeachJust to the East of Christiansted. Turn off at the
Buccaneer Hotel and and then make a right before entering the security
booth to the
Buccaneer Hotel; after checking in with the
guard in the small booth, proceed to the parking lot where the road ends.
Follow the small sandy path along the fence, through the trees, to a beautiful
crescent
beach. There are no facilities so bring any food and beverages you will need. Be
sure to bring any trash back out with you when you leave. There are private residences that border this beach,
so please respect the owner's privacy.

St. Croix's Southeast CoastThere are so many breathtaking coastlines on St. Croix, it's hard to
choose a favorite! The water on the south shore, especially by the Great Salt Pond, is so
turquoise that you can't believe it's real! A large resort and the fourth golf course
on the island is planned for this area of the island. Let's hope they do it
right!

Sprat HallTake Route 63
north from Frederiksted. You will find a one mile stretch of beach. A restaurant/
bar used to be located at this beach, now it is just a deserted beach!

Sugar BeachA beautiful beach with sugar white sand. I guess
that's why it's been named "Sugar Beach"! The beach is located just to the east of
Christiansted, on the north shore, in an area locally known as "condo row".
The beach is great
for lying in the shade a palm or basking in the Caribbean sun. Calm water is great for snorkeling,
but you will find quite a bit of sea grass on the bottom, which
at times can wash up on the beach. The staff of the condo complex located there does a good job of raking the sea
grass off the beach.

Tamarind Reef Beach
Located on the East End of the island in front of Green Cay Marina and adjacent
to The Tamarind Reef Resort,
Spa & Marina. It is a well maintained strip of sand that is lined with tall
Palm trees. There are several hammocks under the trees and lounge chairs,
umbrellas, palm-thatched cabanas, a beach shack, and a bar and restaurant are
just a few of the amenities! Small fee for non-guests of the hotel for lounge
chairs, snorkel gear and kayak rentals.

West End Beaches Be sure to take a drive along the coast to
the north east of Frederiksted. Take Route 63 north out of Frederiksted and
follow it along the coast. You will find many secluded and pristine
beaches on the west end of the island. Several waterfront restaurants/bars are
located along this section of coastline. The beaches face west, so enjoy the
spectacular sunsets and maybe you'll get a glimpse of the famous "green flash".
Be sure to have a few rum drinks first!